


the parting glass

by soonies



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Falling In Love, Hate to Love, M/M, Pretend Relationship, Romance, Sharing a Bed, Strangers to Lovers, Taemin is kind of an asshole and only in it a little bit, jihancheol if u squint, kind of, leap year au, plot inspired by the amy adams movie, soonyoung is amy adams, wonwoo isnt irish but he lives in ireland idk man
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-06
Updated: 2018-11-27
Packaged: 2019-07-25 22:14:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16206731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soonies/pseuds/soonies
Summary: Hearing the name of the once-every-four-years holiday had Soonyoung’s mind reeling as he realized a solution to all of the problems that seem to be plaguing him. Leap Day.-Kwon Soonyoung plans to travel to Dublin, Ireland to propose marriage to his boyfriend Taemin on Leap Day, because, according to Irish tradition, a man who receives a marriage proposal on a leap day must accept it. His plans are interrupted by a series of events and are further complicated when he hires a local innkeeper to take him to his boyfriend in Dublin.





	1. oh all the money that e'er I spent, I spent it in good company

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If Soonyoung's boyfriend won't propose to him, he guesses he'll have to do it himself.

Tonight was the beginning of everything.

At least that’s what Soonyoung thought as their town car pulled up next to Table 34. He adored the restaurant, something he was sure Taemin knew as he was offered a hand to help him out of the backseat. As his boyfriend shut the door and bid the the driver farewell, Soonyoung pulled his coat closer trying to escape Seoul’s late February chill.

Inside the restaurant, Soonyoung was surprised to see their table - near the back, cozy with mood lighting reflecting off the table’s oak surface - already set with a server beginning to pour chilled wine in two glasses. His heart began beating harder in his chest as he gently eased off his coat, Taemin pulling out his chair for him. It was perfect, too perfect. And the man he loved had done it just for him. 

After some expertly designed hors d’oeuvres and an absolutely delectable main course that Taemin had ordered for him, Soonyoung was surprised to see a waiter set a small desert plate in front of him. Full of his favorites - a dollop of chocolate mousse, a strawberry macaron, a caramel drizzled profiterole - he affectionately glanced up at Taemin who cleared his throat to say something. 

“Kwon Soonyoung, you know I love you. I mean, who else would put up with your little quirks like I do. You know I’m right,” Soonyoung blushed, by quirks Taemin meant his inability to commit to bathroom linens for more than a month, the random questions that he sometimes asks, and his insistence on giving a few dollars to the man who plays his guitar in the subway. As a top-notch apartment stager who has done well enough to afford such little luxuries, Soonyoung had never seen these small acts as much of a problem. But before he could open his mouth and say as much, Taemin pressed on.

“I’m right most of the time and I think I’m right about _this_ too,” taking his hand, Taemin let out a small smile. Soonyoung felt his heart leap to his throat. Was what he thought was happening… happening? After four years of dating - although it felt more like professional courting - was Taemin finally going to propose?

“I think we should move in together.”

Soonyoung let out the breath he was holding. No, it wasn’t going to happen. Again. This was the fourth time in six months that Taemin had set up a night like this only for it to end in disappointment (the first two times had been about successful cardio-thoracic surgeries Taemin had performed, the second two after he’d returned from cardiology conferences abroad). Soonyoung took a bite of the chocolate mousse with the hand that wasn’t being held so he wouldn’t have to respond immediately.

“A residence at the Kentworth Cooperative Estates has finally opened and I’ve already scheduled a showing for tomorrow. I think this could be a great step for _us_ ,” Taemin used his thumb to caress Soonyoung’s hand, oblivious to the inner monologue going on in the dark blue-haired man’s head. 

Soonyoung swallowed and put a small smile on his face before nodding, squeezing Taemin’s hand, “Of course dear.”

-

“If your apartment was on fire, what would you save first?”

“Soonyoung, nothing is on fire.”

“I know. It’s a hypothetical, Taemin. If you could only save one thing from a fire, what would you save?”

Taemin sighed, “I guess my national heart award or my Rolex or something. Maybe my first edition copy of Great Expectations. Is that good enough?”

Soonyoung looked out the window as the passing lights of the city, “Yeah, that’s fine.”

_I would save you._

_-_

Walking into the Kentworth Cooperative Estates was like walking into another life. The life of someone far more put-together, wealthier, and high-maintenance than the average perspective renter. It was beautiful and grand and everything Soonyoung imagined his life with Taemin could be. Taemin shared the sentiment and insisted that they must do whatever it takes to gain acceptance from the Estates’ tenant advisory board.

“This unit requires a generous down payment and a formal background check for the both of you. This step sets back quite a few potential residents and with the less than frequent availability of listings in this building, I’d advise you to begin this process soon. As an unmarried couple, your commitment to this unit is incredibly important and career stability is essential. What did you say you do again?” The real estate agent, a thin woman in very high heels named Nayoung, droned on as she showed them through that two-bedroom unit gesturing at vaulted ceilings.

“I’m a surgeon at the Seoul National University Hospital and Soonyoung stages for some of the most expensive apartments in the city,” Taemin interjected before Soonyoung could even open his mouth, award-winning smile on full display.

“I stage apartments for realtors. I transform ordinary spaces into something special. Most people don’t know what it is they want until I show them, and so many places need my help. Not the Estates, of course,” Soonyoung put on a smile that rivaled Taemin’s, looking to the realtor for approval.

“Those are clearly respected enough positions to apply without looking like fools, but again I would advise doing _anything_ you can to supplement your application,” Nayoung smiled a little forcibly before taking the couple back through the foyer and down to the building’s lobby to fill out the necessary paperwork.

As the click of Nayoung’s heels disappeared as she left them alone to discuss the residence, Soonyoung turned to Taemin.

“So when will we hear back from the advisory board if they accept our application?”

Taemin sighed, “When. When they accept our application. I’ve told you before Soonyoung, you must think things into existence. So, ask again.”

“Of course Taemin, when will we hear back from the advisory board accepting our application?” Soonyoung repeated with the corrected grammar.

“Probably sometime during my conference in Dublin this weekend,” Taemin responded, “We’re already one-step closer to this apartment, don’t worry about it. We’re the perfect couple.”

He kissed Soonyoung’s cheek signaling the end of the conversation. Standing up, he extended an arm to Soonyoung and the two of them exited the other life that wasn’t yet theirs; now waiting for one very important phone call.

-

Soonyoung’s phone went off as he walked into his apartment. Taemin had had the town car drop him off at home after being called in to consult on a ruptured aorta (“You ‘aorta’ go help,” Soonyoung had joked when he showed him the message) that would take up his time until his late night flight to Dublin that night. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he saw Jihoon through caller ID and put him on speaker before taking off his scarf and sitting on the couch.

“Jihoon, how ar-,” Soonyoung started before being interrupted.

“Did he propose yet?” Of course. He had known they were going to Table 34 last night and expected the most after having his friend go on about _when_ Taemin was finally going to pop the question.

“No, he didn’t. But we applied for an apartment at the Estates so at least that’s somewhere?” Soonyoung looked at his living room, perfectly decorated with green and taupe accents and a real working fireplace that made the winter nights a little warmer. It was something he could control even if nothing else was in his control.

“I’m sorry, Soon - I really thought he was finally going to do it. Congrats on the apartment though, is it nice?” Jihoon’s voice traveled through the speaker along with a hip-hop beat; the part-time music producer was probably multitasking his latest track. 

“Of course it’s perfect, Taemin wouldn’t settle for anything less. I just have to knock down this wall in between the kitchen and dining space and it’ll open right up. Open flow and everything you know? Simple fix.” 

“Doesn’t sound that simple. Where is Taemin anyway I thought you guys were going to dinner before he leaves for Dublin?”

“Yeah, he got called in for an emergency surgery. He’s leaving right after and won’t be back until the day after Leap Day,” Hearing the name of the once-every-four-years holiday had Soonyoung’s mind reeling as he realized a solution to all of the problems that seem to be plaguing him. **Leap Day.**

“Jihoon, remember when you went to Dublin a couple of years ago?” Soonyoung took the affirmative grunt of recognition from the phone as permission to continue, “Didn’t you say some girl proposed to her boyfriend with some Irish tradition?”

“Uh, yeah. It was the Leap Day tradition: A man who is proposed to on Leap Day can’t say no. It used to be the one day women could propose to men in Ireland but now it’s more like the principle that anyone who really wants to marry someone else can propose to someon- Soonyoung,” the producer stopped talking into the phone to mutter a few expletives. “Are you doing what I think you’re doing?”

Soonyoung was already running with the phone to his closet, pulling out his Louis Vuitton suitcase and filling it to the brim with the clothes and toiletries he’d need to make it through the weekend in the European country.

“I’ve got to, Jihoon, this is my only chance to get him to say yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't get the idea of grumpy wonu having to drive a prissy soonyoung around just to fall in love with him. But like I changed it anyway so he isn't that prissy but it'll still be decent hopefully.
> 
> Not beta'd for shit. I wrote this like an hour ago and will probably edit as I go/come back to it later.


	2. and all the harm that e'er I've done alas, it was to none but me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soonyoung begins his journey and things do not go to plan.... but "he's on a schedule!"

Soonyoung booked the next flight that would get him from Seoul to Dublin for Friday morning - two days before Leap Day. He’d have plenty of time to settle in the city, find a ring, and book a restaurant so that the night would be perfect.

“Business or pleasure?”

Soonyoung looked up from his book on Irish histories that he’d borrowed from Jihoon to see a man putting a bag in the overhead compartment before sitting in the seat next to him.

“Neither really. I’m proposing to my boyfriend on Leap Day. In Dublin. You know, like with the tradition,” Soonyoung said it out loud for the first time.

“Oh, that’s cool. Good luck,” the man pulled out a book of his own, settling in for the long flight.

“It’s just, I never imagined myself doing something like this. I want it to be just right. He’s a heart surgeon and he’s so smart and I just want him to say yes. So, I’m on a schedule. I have to get everything ready in time for Leap Day.” The man hummed and opened his book.

“I mean, we’ve been together for four years. You’d think he’d have popped the question already. See, I thought he was going to do it the other day. We went to this fancy restaurant, he had everything planned out. He got all of our favorite dishes. But all he wanted was to move in together. I just want us to be able to go further, you know? So I’m gonna follow my plan and -” Soonyoung looked over to see that the man had put his earbuds in, essentially ending the one-sided conversation right there.

Less than an hour from landing in Dublin, the pilot came over the intercom announcing a pocket of inclement weather ahead.

In a matter of a seconds, Soonyoung felt the plane dip and then come back up, getting worse as time passed by. As the dips became almost dangerous, oxygen masks fell from the ceiling of the plane.

“I am getting engaged. I am getting engaged. I am not dying before I get engaged.” Soonyoung kept repeating this mantra as a ding echoed around the cabin signaling a message from the captain.

“This storm is worse than predicted and we are being diverted to Cardiff, Wales as Dublin Airport has been shut down. Once landed, the ground staff will be happy to book you on connecting flights in order to get you to your final destinations.”

“Wales? No, we can’t land in Wales,” Soonyoung looked at the man next to him.

“At least we’re landing.”

“Yes, but I’m on a schedule.”

-

In the Cardiff airport, Soonyoung, suitcase in tow, made his way to the front desk of the airline trying to figure out how to get to Dublin on time.

“Sorry sir, there aren’t any flights out until tomorrow morning,” one of two desk attendants told him as he approached.

“Tomorrow as in Saturday? But I’m on a schedule. I’m going to propose to my boyfriend on Sunday. It’s Leap Day. I have to get there today so I can get everything ready in time to do it,” Soonyoung tried pleading his case with the two women.

“Oh, well, why didn’t you say that? That’s changes everything. I’ll phone Dublin International Airport and have them open up a runway especially for you,” the second woman responded before both attendants starting giggling.

“I’m sorry sir but the airport is closed until tomorrow morning,” the first attendant responded before looking to help the next guest.

Managing to catch a bus to a ferry depot that offered trips to Cork, Soonyoung hoped he could buy a ticket and then use another bus to get to Dublin before the ring shops closed for the night. As would be Soonyoung’s luck, the agent at the depot announces that the weather has cancelled all ferries as he walked into the building’s lobby.

(Soonyoung: “What’s wrong with this country?” Agent: “I usually blame the government, but this one’s the weather.”)

Not to be defeated that easily, he walked around the nearby docks for a while before hiring a local fishing boat to take him to Cork. Setting sail, the waves came crashing over the boat’s railing as rain poured down from above.

“The storm is too rough, sir. We’re going to have to pull into Dingle.”

“But I paid for Cork,” Soonyoung started to argue before a massive wave came down on the deck sufficiently soaking him from head to toe - the boat’s tiny awning doing nothing to stop the ice cold water, “Okay. Dingle is fine.”

As the boat pulled away from the town’s little pier, the dark blue-haired man felt his designer shoes sinking into the beach’s sand. He pulled his suitcase behind him as he walked up the beach to a tiny dirt road searching for anything that was open, leaving behind footprints and trails from his luggage’s tiny wheels.

-

The small town of Dingle had only one local tavern open by the time Soonyoung trekked up the road. He grimaced at the fading sign announcing the pub to be called Caragh’s _(Cah-rag? Cay-rahgah_? _)_ Soonyoung wasn’t really sure how to pronounce the bar’s name but he tossed the thought from his mind as he pulled open the weathered door.

Inside, a folky tune was lightly drifting through the air as 3 men were joking around with the barkeep. Soonyoung parked his suitcase next to one of the pub’s dusty booths and saw an old payphone nearby.

“So I convinced the kid that, in this town, he could pay for things with _abalones_ ,” one of the men at the bar finished his joke causing the barkeep to let out a thick chuckle. Soonyoung cleared his throat and all 4 men turned as if they were noticing him for the first time.

“Hello, are you open?” Soonyoung tried to avoid their stares as he turned his attention to the man behind the bar.

“Japanese,” the patron who was telling jokes said, giving Soonyoung a once over. He pushed his long hair back before staring at him more.

“Chinese,” the man next to him countered. He flashed a gummy smile and took a drink of what Soonyoung presumed was beer.

“Actually he’s Korean. Soonyoung, from Seoul. I’m just looking for a way to get to Dublin from here. Do you know when the next bus leaves?”

The third patron looked up from a fruity cocktail, “’99.”

“Excuse me?”

“The last bus left Dingle when I was three and a half years old. In 1999. So, no bus,” he giggled, a little tipsy.

“Great. Well, is there a taxi service or something that I can call?” Soonyoung was ready to leave this tiny town as soon as physically possible. The brown-haired man behind the bar smirked before unpinning a business card from the wall and smacking it on the bar-top.

“Thank you,” Soonyoung called out to the barkeep’s disappearing back as he turned around and left through the door to the kitchen.He pulled out his phone to call the service only to see his phone battery was basically dead. Pocketing it, he turned back to the payphone he had seen earlier, “Guess this will have to do.”

Soonyoung took a minute to remind himself how to use a rotary phone before dialing the number penciled on the card.

“Hello,” a deep voice answered after just a few rings, “Hello there?” He repeated when Soonyoung didn’t answer immediately.

“Hi, yes. I’d like a taxi to Dublin, please.”

“And, uh, where are you calling from?” The voice responded, slightly crackling.

Soonyoung turned away from the other bar patrons and covered his mouth before lowering his voice to a slight whisper, “I’m in this old, little pub. The Carag? Caragh? You get it.”

The voice on the other end chuckled slightly, “I’m sorry but we don’t drive Korean men with faded blue hair.”

Soonyoung’s jaw dropped as he eyed the three men sitting around the bar, “What do you mean you don’t drive— how do you know I have blue hair? And it is not faded! It’s _navy_.”

The man on the other end started full-on laughing before Soonyoung saw the barkeep walking back from the kitchen waving a phone while barking that same condescending chortle.

Soonyoung hung up the payphone and sighed, “You’re the taxi driver too. Well, I need you- I still need you to drive me to Dublin.”

The barkeep ran a hand through his light brown hair before pushing up the sleeves on his grey button down. He leaned against the bar, looking Soonyoung in the eye, before answering.

“Well, I'll tell you something about Dublin, Soonyoung from Seoul. Dublin is a city of chancers and cheats and backstabbing snakes. It's where the worst of humanity collects to poison this fair country. l wouldn't drive you to Dublin if you were to offer me 500 quid.”

“I’d sell you for 500 quid, Cheollie,” the long haired patron whispered to the smiling man from earlier.

Soonyoung turned to the three at the bar, “Well, does anyone else want to drive me to Dublin?”

“Oh no, it’s bad luck to start a trip on a Friday,” ‘Cheollie’ answered.

The long haired man smacked him lightly on the arm, “No, it’s Saturday that’s bad luck. Nothing good has ever happened on a Saturday in Dingle.”

“It’s Thursday! No, wait - Sunday, to be sure.” The third man smiled into his drink, small face flush as the other two pulled him close - all three giggling.

Soonyoung sighed again, something that felt like it was becoming a common occurrence in this pub, “Fine, I’ll just try to find a taxi in the morning. Can someone at least point me in the direction of the nearest hotel?” Upon seeing multiple grimaces, he hesitantly reworded his question: “Or bed and breakfast?”

The barman knocked on the bar-top before pointing at a sign hanging from the front advertising rooms for rental.

“Of course… this the pub, taxi rental, and hotel. Of course.”

It’d have to do, he was _still_ on a schedule.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I finally updated this past one chapter and that's a lot for me so hopefully I won't give up on this piece. Let me know what you think!!
> 
> ...Obviously the barkeep is Wonu but they're not friends yet so he remains nameless for now.
> 
> ((jihancheol if you squint))


	3. and all I've done for want of wit, to memory now I can't recall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This inn isn't exactly what Soonyoung is accustomed to. Neither is the man who owns it.

With all of the dust in the air triggering a mild coughing fit, Soonyoung (suitcase uncomfortably in tow) sent a small scowl at the brunet man guiding him to his room. After climbing a flight of what he deemed the creakiest stairs he’d ever been on, the barkeep led him down a hallway with carpeting that had seen better days - in the seventies.

“You know this place looks something out of The Shining. You sure you aren’t going to chase me with an axe tonight, uh-“, Soonyoung cut off, realizing he had never gotten the bartendertaxidriverinnkeeper’s name.

“Wonwoo. And no. I will not be the Jack to your figurative Wendy. The movie ruined her enough as it is, don’t need your input too.” Wonwoo - _a name Soonyoung thought was far too nice for such a bitter man_ \- stopped in front of a tiny door emblazoned with a crooked #2 and turned to him. “Bathroom’s down the hall, you have to flush twice. I’m not kidding. Twice. And with that, good night, _sir_.”

Snickering, Wonwoo exaggeratedly _bowed_ before he turned with a smirk and began walking down the hall, about to head down the stairs when Soonyoung called out.

“There was a menu down by the bar?”

The brunet grimaced to himself before turning around and slowly pacing his way back to the shorter man, still standing in front of the closed #2 door.

“It’s closed.”

Soonyoung frowned slightly before a small lightbulb twinkled to life in his brain, “But, well, with how the Irish are supposed to have such a tradition of hospitality, is there anything you can do?”

“I’m not Irish.” Wonwoo muttered before seeing the absolutely pitiful look Soonyoung was trying to put on his face, “Uh, fine. I’ll get you a hang sandwich.”

He walked away before the navy-haired man could even bother to ask what a “hang sandwich” was. _Seriously, hang is a verb. Not a sandwich._

He closed his eyes and reminded himself that he’s here for Taemin. He’ll propose, Taemin will say yes, and he’ll get to leave this horrid place and never return. He peeked back at the crooked #2 and prayed that it wasn’t indicative of the accommodations inside. However, once he opened the door, Soonyoung added the tiny room with barely enough space for a twin bed and a standing wardrobe to the ever-growing list of things he hated about Ireland.

Rolling his suitcase in, he tossed it on the bed, more dust escaping into the air. He thought about the phone sitting in his coat pocket, probably long dead by now. He’d have to find an outlet somewhere in this abysmal space so he could let _anyone_ know he was stuck in this dinky little bar/hotel. He still wasn’t quite sure how to refer to the place. He rummaged through the once perfectly-packed piece of luggage until he found the wall adapter Jihoon had dug out of his closet for him.

(“Be careful. It can be a little janky, I got it as a traveling present from Vernon and you know he’s clueless when it comes to that shit,” Jihoon had basically tossed it at him when he went over the younger’s apartment to pick it up.)

Soonyoung looked around the room to find no outlet in sight. Resorting to lying on the floor and peeking under the bed, he saw one (1) outlet in the entire room. Against the wall. Under the bed that was bolted to the floor. Where his arm couldn’t reach. He huffed and rolled onto his back, cursing Ireland and the complete inconvenience the entire United Kingdom had been since his plane has set down in Wales.

Getting back on top of the bed and trying to force his hand through the tiny space between the bed’s edge and the wall, Soonyoung yelled into a pillow before finally getting the adapter into the outlet. Plugging his phone in, he saw the the little white apple appear on screen before a puff of smoke came out of the charging port and the phone turned back off. Letting out a noise that can only be described as pure frustration, he threw the phone with as much strength as he could muster at the wardrobe. He grimaced and regretted the decision immediately as the phone shattered and the closet door slowly swung open due to the force. _He didn’t lose his cool, this just wasn’t him. His whole plan was in shambles and so was he._

He kneeled on the edge of the bed to grab the remnants of his phone. After fishing it from the floor, he tried to close the wardrobe door only to find something blocking the door from shutting completely. Then he saw it. On the second shelf, bumping the door like it was begging him to look at it: A photograph.

As he leaned over the space between the bed and the wardrobe to grab the photograph, he lost his balance, reaching out to grab anything to catch his own fall. Unfortunately, the only thing he was able to grab was the wardrobe’s shelf, taking that down with him as well as the shelf’s contents - photograph included. Soonyoung resolved to fixing the shelf in a moment, eyes still drawn to the silver frame below him.

Picking up the cracked ( _had he done that?_ ) frame and sitting back on the bed, Soonyoung saw Wonwoo with black hair and a genuine smile on his face. Far from the satisfied little smirk he’d been giving Soonyoung all night, he actually looked happy almost as if the man he’d met tonight had been an evil robot taking the place of the real Wonwoo all along. His arms were wrapped a boy Soonyoung hadn’t seen before. He was about the same height as Wonwoo with a small face, light hair, and dark eyes. He looked like he was in the middle of laughing with a toothy smile spreading across his face that rivaled Wonwoo’s in happiness. They were standing in front of a much better kept Caragh’s, flowers growing strong and bright in window boxes that Soonyoung knows are now broken down and empty. It must of been a past Spring. Soonyoung flipped the frame over to see the photo jutting out of the back, some writing on the picture’s plain side. Pulling it out a little, he saw the photo was dated two years prior. Soonyoung wondered what happened between then and now that Wonwoo was so cynical and the bar was so rundown. It must’ve been bad.

As he was righting the photograph in its frame, the door to his tiny room burst open.

“Alright, here you go. One hang sandwich. You know y- what the hell are you doing in here?!” Wonwoo’s eyes went wide as he looked down at Soonyoung flipping the photograph forward in his hands. Gaze darting to the mess from the fallen shelf, he tossed the sandwich on the bed next to the blue-haired man and pulled the frame from his hands. “Who said you could go rummaging through the room, huh?!”

“I, uh- the outlet fried my phone and I -“, Soonyoung started.

“So you made a mess of the whole room? Idiot…” Wonwoo left the room, slamming the door and taking the photograph with him.

Soonyoung ran his fingers through his hair and tried his best to pick up the shelf’s contents before giving up when he couldn’t get the wood to slot back into the wardrobe. Inspecting the plate Wonwoo had all but thrown on the bed, he realized it was just a ham sandwich. He still wasn’t sure why it was called “hang” though. He also wasn’t sure why Wonwoo had been so mad when he’d come back to the room. Sure a shelf had fallen, but that wasn’t that big of a deal, was it? He could pay to fix it if it was that serious. But, then again, maybe it wasn’t the shelf. Maybe Wonwoo was mad he’d seen the photograph.

—

“Taemin! I’m so glad my call finally went through!” Soonyoung, still in his pajamas, all but yelled into the pub’s payphone after he woke promptly at seven in the morning (he couldn’t sleep anymore, the jet-lag begging him to wake). He looked around the pub to see the three men from the day before slumped together in a corner booth, finally dozed off as if nothing else in the world mattered. One shifted at all the yelling before turning to sling an arm around the other two next to him.

“Soonyoung, isn’t it just after five there? Shouldn’t you be showing the Kim residence?” Taemin sounded wide awake, like he’d been up for hours. He probably had been - Soonyoung mused at the thought of how he always woke up first whenever he’d stayed the night at Soonyoung’s place - out the door and on his way to rounds at the hospital before Soonyoung could even miss his absence in the warm bed.

“Yeah, well, I’m not actually in Seoul right now. I’m, uh, I’m in Ireland. I wanted to surprise you but it’s kind of not working out like I’d planned.” Soonyoung switched between curling the phone’s cord around his finger and chewing on his cuticles - a sight Taemin would scoff at.

“Well where are you at? I’ll send a car to get you,” On the other end Taemin walked around his room, trying to decide on a tie for the first day of his conference.

“I’m in a tiny village called Dingle, but don’t worry. I think I’ll be able to find a taxi today. I’m just glad someone knows where I am. I’ll see you tonight, okay?” Soonyoung thought about the last time Taemin had ‘saved’ him from something - and then brought it up for the next month.

“Okay. I’ll see you tonight.”

Taemin ended the call before anything else could be said by either of them.

-

Soonyoung looked up with a small frown on his face as he saw Wonwoo outside, tidying up the chalk on the store’s front placard. The brunet turned and looked at the small gravel parking lot behind him as a beat up van marked _Kang Kitchen and Bath_ pulled into the lot and a dark-haired man got out of the driver’s side door.

The man, who Soonyoung could only describe as slightly bandit-looking (he wasn’t quite sure why, but that felt like the best way to characterize him), approached the barkeep.

“Wonwoo, today’s the end of it. Dad said you’ve had plenty of time to pay what you owe to us,” the man put his hands in his pockets and looked straight at the brunet with serious eyes that made even Soonyoung felt slightly uncomfortable from inside the bar.

“But Dongho, I’m almost there. Your dad knows I only owe you a little more. Give me some time, if you take away the appliances how am I supposed to stay in business?” Raking his hands through his hair, Wonwoo let out a sigh before looking back at the man.

“I’m going to need all of it, Wonwoo. Or I have to take the appliances away. It’s just business to my dad; you know there’s nothing I can do.”  
  
“Give me a month. Please.”

“A month? I don’t think he’ll go for it. I-, the most I can give you is a week before I absolutely have to take it back, Jeon.” 

“A week? I- I can get you the 900 quid in, let’s see,” Wonwoo started counting on his fingers trying to find a way to make that much money in such a short amount of time, “10 days.”

“A thousand, he said there’s interest. It’s been a long bit since your last payment,” Dongho looked like he’d had this conversation before, many times. And that he’d hated having it.

“Ten days. Okay- okay, I’ll get it to you. You have my word.”

-

Not wanting to look like he was eavesdropping (which he definitely was), Soonyoung turned and ran back up the stairs to his room as he saw the two men shaking hands.

He quickly stripped off his pajama bottoms and shrugged on a pair of slacks he’d gotten from some designer store in the Gangnam district. Pulling off the silk sleep top, he heard a slight knock on the door as he frantically searched for a button up that wasn’t completely wrinkled.

As Wonwoo opened the door without waiting for a response _again_ , he turned and quickly sat down on the tiny bed, “All right, come on. Let’s go. I’ll drive you to Dublin - only because you’re so desperate.”

Soonyoung scowled slightly, “Can you get out? I’m trying to get changed and pack my stuff.” He gestured to his unclothed chest. If he wasn’t convinced that Wonwoo was in fact a robot that didn’t possess human feelings, Soonyoung would say that a slight dusting of pink was taking residence on the barkeep’s cheeks.

Forcing the small blush away, Wonwoo averted his eyes and continued as if he hadn’t even heard him, smirk returning, “500 quid. Like you offered last night.”

“But you said Dublin was full of cheats and snakes. I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you.” Soonyoung gave him a small smirk in return before getting up to continue searching for a shirt.

“No inconvenience. A simple yes or no will do.”

Having finally found a suitable shirt, Soonyoung turned around, “Fine, yes. You can drive me. Now get-”

“Good, see you outside in ten minutes,” Wonwoo cut him off, quickly leaving the room and closing the door.

“Literally, what the hell? He couldn’t wait until I was dressed to do that?” Soonyoung muttered to himself as he started buttoning up the light blue shirt.

The door opened again and before he could even protest, Wonwoo’s head popped in. “By the way it’s 100 for the room, and that includes the shelf you broke,” he announced, the door quickly closing again.

Soonyoung tossed a shoe at the door where Wonwoo’s head had been. How was he going to get through a few hours in the car with this man? He wasn’t sure he’d survive that long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And chapter 3 is up!!
> 
> Who is the mysterious man in the photograph??? Why is Wonwoo blushing??? Who knows!!
> 
> They took the movie off Netflix which is making this way more difficult because I can't directly reference it anymore because trying to stream anything other than Netflix where I am is hard because this wifi is terrible so rip that
> 
> But! let me know what you think!!


	4. so fill to me the parting glass, good night and joy be with you all

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The journey begins, much to Soonyoung's - and Wonwoo's - dismay.

Soonyoung almost tripped as he walked to the edge of Caragh’s dirt parking lot when a cat darted out in front of his feet. All black except for its intense yellow eyes, the lithe creature stared at him before meowing quietly and running through a small flap-door leading into the bar. Soonyoung hadn’t noticed the cat-door when he had arrived the night before but he was also certainly sure he’d never seen a cat in the bar either. Who did the animal even belong to?

He perched himself on the curb and wondered how someone like the robot he’d come to know as Wonwoo felt about cats before an absurd honking brought him back to reality. 

_Why did it even matter to him how Wonwoo felt?_

He looked up to see a death trap on wheels pulling up to the small curb, Wonwoo at the helm - a wicked smile on his face. The small, orange car stopped, momentum making it rock back and forth before the brunet man stepped out and rapped on the hood with his knuckles.

“Your chariot awaits, Soonyoung from Seoul. Now, get in.”

“Please tell me this isn’t what’s taking us all the way to Dublin. It looks like it won’t make it out of this parking lot, let alone across the country,” Soonyoung grimaced at his driver before pulling his sport coat a little closer, a slight chill moving through the air.

“She’s a classic! And sturdy as ever,” He shook the car back and forth on its suspension to prove his point. Soonyoung thought that did the exact opposite as a heavy groan sounded from the car, seemingly protesting all of the movement.

Putting his hands up in front of him, Soonyoung frantically waved them back and forth as the brunet started walking around the car to where he was standing, “You know, a black cat just walked in front of me. And, uh, bad luck! You know? Maybe I should try to find another taxi service to take me to Dublin. I wouldn’t want your car to break down. You know the trip is like 5 hours!”

Wonwoo ignored his pleas, roughly picking up the blue-haired boy’s suitcase before beelining to the car’s trunk, “Oh, she’ll be fine. Plus — I’m the only person who can drive you with such short notice… unless you want to wait until Monday for Chan to get back in town.”

“I can’t wait that long!” He yelled far too quickly before adding: “And be careful with that suitcase: It was a gift. From my boyfriend.”

Wonwoo tossed the aforementioned piece of luggage into the car, looking at Soonyoung incredulously, “He got you a bag as a gift?”

Soonyoung muttered something under his breath indignantly. Wonwoo continued to stare at him until he spoke again, louder this time: “It’s a Vuitton. Like a Louis Vuitton.”

“And you named it?” Wonwoo sighed into a quiet chuckle, “Sometimes I just don’t understand people, naming your suitcases… Now, get in the car so we can get going.”

Wonwoo closed the trunk ( _“Safe trip, Louis!”_ ), pushing hard until it clicked shut.

“Fine. Fine, only because I have to get there before tonight,” Soonyoung looked up at his driver - who stood just a few inches taller than him - before letting out a small _humph_ and making his way to the passenger door. He sat in the car while Wonwoo muttered a “be right back” and rounded to the mailbox by the bar’s entrance, slotting something inside.

As he was walking back to the car, Soonyoung looked at the man who’d he’d be spending the next few hours with. Wonwoo was wearing a loose green sweater that looked to be made of wool or something just as warm, fitted black pants, and brown boots that, much like the car he drove, had seen better days. His hair was cut short - light brown and buzzed on the sides in an undercut that seemed slightly too fashionable for the man - and round glasses were perched on a strong nose, framing his dark eyes. He zipped up a dark colored jacket before grabbing the door handle. 

Once situated in the car, Wonwoo turned to look at him. Soonyoung thought he saw something in his eyes, something interesting. But his moment of curiosity was shattered as soon as Wonwoo opened his mouth.

“Before we go, I have two rules. One: Don’t touch my radio - it’s on the fritz and yes, that’s the only channel we’ll get clearly. And Two: No bad mouthing Réalta. She’s a good girl and doesn’t need a stranger saying she’s not.”

Wonwoo turned back to the road before signaling and pulling into traffic - traffic being Dongho’s van heading to the pier for a shipment of sinks and Minki’s pick up coming back from the early morning fish market. After taking a moment to get what Wonwoo said through his mind, a bewildered look flashed on Soonyoung’s face, “You named your car… But you’ll make fun of my suitcase?”

Wonwoo sported an equally baffled expression before the emotion quickly melted to annoyance, “Réalta is my _cat_ who you so rudely called ‘bad luck’ a few minutes ago.”

Soonyoung felt a blush flooding his cheeks, ears red-hot, “I, I- uh didn’t know. I’m sorry”

“As you should be,” he kept his eyes on the road. Passing the local bakery, he remembered he still needed to place an order for Monday’s pick up, “Réalta did nothing but see off the person who’s constant disturbances woke her up from her sleep all night.”

“She’s a cat, Wonwoo.”

“And? She still has more feelings than _you_ ,” Wonwoo made a turn off the main road of Dingle onto a road that continued straight as far as the duo could see, “so you should treat her with respect.”

Soonyoung sighed, “Okay, fine. Fine. I won’t say anything bad about your cat anymore. I’m sorry.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all! I know I've been pretty MIA for a bit but I just moved into a new apartment AND got a new job (so I've been busy asf).
> 
> Originally, this chapter was going to be longer and actually traverse more into the actual trip (like I really wanted them to be On The Road by ch4 latest) and yet I have been having the worst writer's block over this fic.
> 
> Hopefully some of y'all are still reading and enjoy this small update. I'll try to be more consistent as time goes on but who knows if that'll actually work lmao.
> 
> Please let me know what you think!!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading so far! Please leave me a comment if you want to chat or have literally any opinion of this work.
> 
> It will be updated sporadically but if I'm taking too long just like comment that or something. That'll get my ass writing!
> 
> And, yes, some things they say/do are quoted from the movie but in general it's all switched around or redetailed, etc. It's a AU fic based on a movie with specific events what'd you expect?
> 
> Talk to me!!  
> twitter: @jaehun101 (new@!!)


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